


Sins of the Mother and Son

by AshleysMystery



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Almost death, Character Study, Gen, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 10:04:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17958425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshleysMystery/pseuds/AshleysMystery
Summary: Morga finally finds her target again, but can she kill him?





	Sins of the Mother and Son

Morga sat by the river. She knew it wasn’t a real river, looked too much like the ones from home and not like the Vesuvian rivers she was becoming used to seeing now. There were other signs that were she wasn’t in the same place as when she slept. Deer that shimmered like snow, an empty small village a few yards away, house cats as large as cheetahs, it's only been a few minutes and the sky has gone through several shades of evening and morning, and more things she noticed, but the most pressing one was the one, there was a bipedal goat. A bipedal goat, that kept shifting between the goat form and the form of her son.

 

She watched him try to cross the river, but he wasn’t making and progress after making it halfway through the water. So she waited, wondering how long it will take him to realize this or get swept down river. It seems that his pride or fear of her was still strong, because he kept trying to swim to the other shore. It was almost sad.

 

She sighed, standing up and taking a step into the water, only for it to recede away from her foot, letting her touch dry river bed. She stared at the ground longer than she’d like to admit, then refocuses on Lucio and what she had to do. She slowly walked forward, avoiding rocks in the river and preparing her spear.

 

_ She had to do this.  _ She reminded her of all the reasons she had to do this.  _ He made a deal with a demon to kill her. He got his own parents sick so that he could kill them easier. He would have gotten into battle and got the entire clan killed. He made a deal with the Devil. He was the source of the plague. He was ruining an entire city _ . She raised her spear above her head.  _ She had to do this, in life or in a dream, she still had to do this. _

 

Then she heard it. Crying. She hasn’t heard him cry in over 20 years and it still hurt her heart to hear him do it. She growled, trying to ignore her feelings and just kill him. He was right there, helpless and an easy target. She just has to do it. Just do it. She just… Has do it…. She just…. Has to kill her son…. Just kill him… Why couldn’t she do it? 

 

She sighs, lowering her spear and just watching him, as he continued to try to swim away and cry. She don’t know how long she stood there, feeling her heart break and watching him. She should have killed him when she had the chance, but she didn’t and now so much worse than her own grieving has occurred. 

 

“.............................. Montag.”

 

He squawks and spins around in the water to face her. His makeup was smudged, he looked older, a metal arm, and the look of fear still hurt her, but she could still tell who it was despite all these years. This was her boy.

 

“Stop struggling, the water won’t let you go any further.”

 

He let out a small growl and tried to keep swimming, slowly turning back into the goat form. “It will.”

 

She watches for a bit longer, then grabs his foot, the water disappearing from around it. “It won’t.”

 

He whines and tries to swim faster. She barely has to pull for him to move towards her and out of the water. He struggles more to escape her grip. “If you’re going to kill me, then do it! Don’t drag it out!”

 

_ Do it! _ Her mind screamed for her to do it. She still had the spear and he was screaming for it.  _ You know where to puncture to make it as painless as possible! Just lift the spear and do it! Just kill- _ “No.”

 

He stops struggling and turns to look at her. “N…. no?”

 

“No. I won’t kill you.” She sighs, letting his foot go.

 

Still in shock, he doesn’t run away, instead moving to sit in front of her. 

 

She internally groans. Even as a goat, she could tell he was surprised. “I should kill you. I should kill you, you deserve to die. I really should….. But I guess I’m too used to spoiling you that I can’t bring myself to punish you for what you’ve done.”

 

He still stared at her, slowly turning back to his human form. “......... Mama?”

 

He looked younger, maybe it was his expression, maybe the magic of this land was actually making him look like he used to. It made her feel guiltier and ashamed. She’s been able to kill all of her other prey, but not him, because she’s too weak to do the job. “I can’t kill you Monty… I just can’t..”

 

He watches her in silence for a bit, then slowly stands up. He seemed to have many things to say, but none came out. After what felt like several minutes, he finally settled on something to say. “Why?”

 

“Why what?”

 

“Why aren’t you killing me? You’ve been chasing me for, what, close to 25 years? Why stop now?”

 

She sighs, rubbing her face. “I don’t know. I thought I could do it. I should do it, but I haven’t, I can’t. Just be grateful for that.”

 

He frowns, getting upset over something she wasn’t sure about. “Grateful? Grateful?! I should be grateful that you aren’t killing me?!” He laughs, walking around his small part of the river bed. “Why should I be grateful?!”

 

She frowns more. “It gives you a chance to actually live.”

 

He laughs louder. “Live?! I don’t have a body mama! My wife banished from my own city and I have nowhere to go! I doubt the clan would take me back. What do I have to live for?! Tell me that mama!”

 

Her frown deepens and he flinches. “Live to prove! Live to prove that I didn’t raise a grub for 18 years! Live to prove that you can learn from your mistakes! Live to prove that you know how to survive! Live to prove that you’re not a fucking coward! Prove that you don’t have to need the help of demons just to exist! Prove that you don’t need a plague just to kill another being!”

 

He growls, getting in her face. “I don’t have to prove myself to you!”

 

They were about the same height now and he was slowly turning back into the goat. “Then prove it to yourself! Prove to yourself that you’re actually worth the pride you hold so close!”

 

He stomps around her and down the dry path she took to get to him. “I don’t have to listen to this.”

 

“And where has that gotten you? Hm? Not listening to those around you? Having your head shoved up your ass so far that you can only hear your own ego?” She followed after him. “How well did that work out?”

 

He turns and hisses at her. “I was great! People loved me!”

 

“People feared and hated you. You were surrounded by demons and greedy bastards. Those who gave you power are just as eager to take it back.”

 

He flinches, obviously trying to think it over, but he can’t seem to connect those points together with how his life went. He couldn’t, so he got defensive. “Why do you care?”

 

“Because, despite everything you’ve done, you’re still my son and I want you to succeed in life!”

 

He blinks, still confused. “..... What?”

 

She groans, rubbing her temples. “I want the best for you, but you have to stop being a little shit first and get your act together. Then maybe you’d have a chance at being in charge of the clan!”

 

He frowns, but seems to be thinking about it. 

 

“Whatever plan you’re thinking of, stop. Big plans of glory are what got you here in the first place. Just stop and think of something unrelated to getting more power. Okay?” She stares him down.

 

He pouts and nods, a slightly different thinking look on his face. “How do I get a body again without demons? They usually have the magic to do that.”

 

She sighs. “One step at a time. We’ll figure it out, but you actually have to listen to me and do as I say, got it?”

 

He pouts and reluctantly nods. “Whatever you say, mama.”

 

“Good.” She could feel herself waking up. “I’m going to wake up soon, so listen carefully. Head to the Chariot’s realm. I’ll meet you there the next time I sleep.” She points up the river, somehow knowing that was the way. “Prove to me that you can make it there.”

 

“And if I don’t?” He looks nervously up the river.

 

“Then you’ve finally proven that you’re beyond my help. Good morning and goodbye, Monty.” She disappeared, leaving Lucio alone.

 

He climbed out of the river and watched the water reclaim where they had stood. He glances towards where she pointed, then looked at the other directions, considering running away from this. He groans, doing as mother told, and following the river.


End file.
